Six bike laps that will really get you going

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Six bike laps that will really get you going

Rhenish cycling paradise 

It's in the nature of things - it's wonderful to cycle along the Rhine. In Düsseldorf, the resourceful city planners have even made this possible on the right and left of the river, so that, including the bridges, there are countless possibilities for small and larger rounds even within the city. What you can discover and which tour is suitable for which fitness level, we tell you in the following. And that's not all: For those who want to really step on the gas and pedal even in the worst weather, we can recommend a very special indoor cycling. So get on the saddle and get pedaling! 

To Benrath Castle 

The starting point for this tour is the south of Düsseldorf, more precisely the time field at the Volksgarten. The beauty of this route is that it is very varied, connecting some of Düsseldorf's more rural districts with one of the city's architectural highlights, Benrath Palace. Many sections are car-free and lead through greenery, which also makes the tour child-friendly. However, you will need to be in good shape to cover the 25 kilometers. So plan enough time. First, the Volksgarten is crossed lengthwise, a bridge at its southern end leads over the A46. Then follow the signs to Himmelgeist, pass the Botanical Garden and cycle along the dike of a canal for a while before turning off to Himmelgeist. You now cycle through Himmelgeist on roads with little traffic. At Mickeln Castle, turn left onto Am Steinebrück and continue on Am Trippelsberg past idyllic paddocks and a small chapel. From here you follow the signs to Benrath. At the big Bonner Straße it gets urban for a few minutes, but next to the four-lane road is a dead-straight bike path. As soon as the Rhine comes into view, turn right and follow the course of the river until you see the Schlosspark on your left. You will now enter the park and cycle along the dead-straight and symmetrically laid-out paths straight to Düsseldorf's "Versailles". A picnic in the park? A cake in the palace café? A visit to the kitchen garden or the garden museum? Or would you prefer to swap your pedals for felt slippers and indulge in a bit of Baroque romance on a guided tour of the palace before returning to the city center? Everything as you like it. You already know the route back.   

To Kaiserswerth 

The starting point for this tour is the Varieté Apollo under the Rheinkniebrücke. The advantage of this tour: You don't need a map, after all, it's about twelve kilometers along the Rhine. So you can't get lost, so to speak. On the riverside promenade designed by Niklaus Fritschi and Benedikt Stahl, the route heads steadily north along the right bank of the Rhine. You pass the old town, the Burgplatz with the castle tower, the only remnant of Jan Wellem's city castle, and then follow Vater Rhein downstream. Behind the Rhine terraces, the Rhine meadows begin. Here, a shady, gravel path leads you to the Theodor Heuss Bridge, after which you will have asphalt under your wheels again and share the path with inline skaters and joggers. Behind the trade fair and the stadium, which you leave on your right, you reach the dike, on which a paved and car-free path leads into the countryside. Although you feel like you're always cycling straight ahead, you're following the great sweeps of the river, which is easy to see from the position of the sun or the position of the Rhine Tower at your back, which seems to be sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right of the stream. Up here in the north of the city, the Rhine meadows stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by the striking pylons and cables of the airport bridge. After crossing under the bridge, you'll see your destination: Kaiserswerth, the village district with the picturesque ruins of the 12th-century imperial palace. In summer, you should definitely stop at the beer garden of the neighboring "Burghof". From here you not only have a great view of the Rhine, you can also see the small ferry that helps you cross it, because it goes back on the left bank of the Rhine. Even on the way back, the river is always in sight. After about 50 minutes you will reach the Rheinkniebrücke and after crossing it you can enjoy a sundowner at the KIT Café next to the Apollo.     

The City Bridge Circuit 

Not always a half or full day is available when you feel like a bike ride. Therefore, here comes a small city tour, which is just right after a long working day and still includes a few highlights. You start on the left bank of the Rhine at the intersection of Düsseldorfer Straße and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring and follow the course of Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring to the north. On the left, you will pass a series of villas in spectacular prime locations with exclusive views of the Rhine and the Old Town. You will pass under the Oberkassler Bridge. Where Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring turns into Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring, a small paved path branches off to the right. It leads you onto a nice bike path on the Rhine dike, which runs parallel to a separate pedestrian path. The Rhine meadows here are not only a popular sheep pasture, but also pure eye candy. The vast green of the meadows against the glittering blue of the river has a calming effect on the senses. You pass under the Theodor Heuss Bridge and then come across the Lörick open-air swimming pool. Here you turn left and follow a higher dike path that brings you back to the Theodor Heuss Bridge. Cross the river once, then go down the spiral bike ramp and continue right on Cecilienallee, where a shady gravel path along the Rhine Park takes you past the neo-baroque Higher Regional Court on the left and the Rhine Terraces on the right. The Fortuna-Büdchen, a cult meeting place for locals, is a great place for a little refreshment at sunset before you return to the Rhine promenade, past the Tonhalle and the old town, to the Rheinkniebrücke.   

Hamm and port round 

This tour shows you the urban as well as the village side of the city. You start in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor, more precisely at the "Neuer Zollhof" (New Customs Yard) by star architect Frank Gehry, an ensemble of buildings that has been one of the landmarks of the Rhine metropolis since its construction in 1999. From here you move in the direction of the Rhine Tower, in the shadow of which a pedestrian bridge spans the harbor. This small bridge is one of the best vantage points in the city, as it offers a view of the harbor, the Rhine and the old town. (So when the famous fireworks are set off on the evening of Düsseldorf's Japan Day, it's the place to be). Behind this bridge begins the Paradisstrand, which does not have this name for nothing! Above the long beach you cycle relaxed on the dike until you reach Hamm. Here it is worthwhile to make a small detour into the town center to see the almost village life of this part of town. Back on the Rhine, continue to the Südbrücke bridge, follow the Südring in the direction of the city center for a while and then turn left onto Volmerswerther Straße and stubbornly follow its course until it first becomes Martinstraße, then Neusser Straße and finally, a few meters behind the Bilker Kirche church, Lorettostraße. Here, countless cafés and restaurants are waiting to reward you for your sporting efforts. The Rhine Tower greets you again when you turn left into Fürstenwall at the northern end of Lorettostraße.        

Aaper forest 

Now for the sporty types, for whom leisurely cycling along the Rhine only elicits a weary yawn. For them, a few nice climbs await in the Aaper Forest. Admittedly, the mountain range in the east is no comparison to the Alps. The highest parts of the Aaper and Grafenberger Wald are just 150 meters high. But if you take the paths on the steepest parts, you can get your heart rate up a bit. This will also be confirmed by the participants of the Tour de France, who completed part of the first stage here as part of the Grand Départ 2017. However: You are preferably on a mountain bike. Start and finish of the round is the Staufenplatz. You start off heading north on Ernst-Poensgen-Allee, from where you turn right onto the steep Fahneburgstraße, just like the Tour de France riders. At the bend in the road, where it becomes Rennbahnstraße, head towards the golf course and then towards the glider airfield until you reach the Neu-Dellerhof road, which runs parallel to the A44. Congratulations! You have reached the highest point of the tour. The route then descends rapidly along Knittkuhler Straße. Shortly before the Bergische Kaserne, turn right into Knittkuhl on the street Am Mergelsberg. The speed limit here is 30 km/h - even for cyclists. At the end of the village you will come to the small road In der Flieth, which leads into a narrow forest path. This leads along the edge of the forest and once around the Gallberg. If you follow the path over the next two crossroads and also over Forster Weg and turn right at the Benninghoven farm garden, you will end up at the racecourse. Via Rennbahnstraße and Fahneburgstraße, you will quickly descend to Staufenplatz, where you can replenish your energy reserves at the Eiscafé Luna.  

Becycle 

It's raining, it's storming. And you still feel like cycling? Then Becycle on Oststraße is the place for you. The concept originated in the German capital. In Düsseldorf, the sister-in-law of the Berlin founder, Jennifer Goelitzer, runs the boutique sports studio, whose specialty is indoor cycling. Excuse me?! Cycling indoors sounds like boredom? Not at all! The cycling room, which is the centerpiece of the studio, is modeled after a club, and that's how it works. In front, a DJ booth and a sound system that packs a punch. Next to it is a trainer who will whip you up to peak performance. The 26 bikes available to you here are arranged in a semicircle on two levels, creating a special dynamic in the ride course. DJs play live music once a month, and these events are particularly popular. Then, when you're completely exhausted from your fitness bike, the yoga that's also offered here will help you stretch your muscles and calm your breathing. In short: the perfect match. By the way: All courses are held in English, since many Expads belong to the Becyclists. 

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism

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